1 Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of lifting devices in general and for devices to lift hitches designed for “fifth wheel trailers” in particular.
2 Discussion of the Related Art
The use of recreational vehicles has great popularity in the United States. One type of a recreational vehicle is a “fifth wheel”. Fifth wheel trailers are towed behind pickup trucks via a pivoting mount located in the bed of the pickup. The practicality and popularity of fifth wheel trailers are obvious. The cost of the trailer is reduced since a single axle is eliminated and the pickup provides the locomotion, thus eliminating the need for a motor. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical configuration of the fifth wheel typically consists of an “gooseneck” type trailer where a portion of the trailer overlaps the bed of the pickup.
Mounted beneath the trailer (trailer referring to either a gooseneck or 5th wheel trailer) is a ball assembly called a “kingpin”. The kingpin provides the point where the trailer is connected to a hitch. The hitch is designed to accept a kingpin and allow the trailer to be pulled and pivot. The kingpin and hitch interface must be designed so that a considerable force and load will not result in failure. Consequently, hitches are fabricated from extremely durable and stress resistant materials. The durability of the hitch materials, which is usually steel, results in an extremely heavy hitch. Also, the hitch is bolted into the bed of the pickup, either by removable bolts or by a series of clips.
A significant number of individuals only use their trailers on a limited basis, for example, for summer camping or on weekends. While the trailer is not in use, the presence of the hitch mounted in the truck bed can be an obstacle to the use of the truck bed. Also, when the trailer is detached, the hitch is exposed to the elements causing degradation of the hitch assembly. Likewise, if the truck is parked outdoors, the hitch may become the target of thieves.
As previously mentioned, a typical hitch may weigh upwards of several hundred pounds. It is sometimes problematic for a single person to remove the hitch due to the weight of the hitch. For a person with a disability, removal of the hitch is nearly impossible without help from another person. In both cases, a single person can be somewhat limited in the ability to install and remove the hitch.
Prior solutions to this problem have included the redesign of the 5th wheel hitch. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,727 (Jan. 30, 2007) to Dick proposes that the ball of the 5th wheel hitch be reversible. This design does eliminates the hitch interference, but suffers from incompatibility with existing trailers that utilize a kingpin mounted on the trailer.
Since there are a large number of existing 5th wheel trailers on the market, installation of and there is a problem with the removal of the hitches from pickup truck beds by a single person. Consequently, it is desirable to have a mechanism that would allow a 5th wheel hitch assembly to be removed by a single person.